Kofta Kebabs

"These kebabs have 6 different kinds of spices; the first time I smelled them I knew immediately that I had to find the recipe. The most affordable way to purchase the spices is in bulk at either a health food store or an Asian or Middle-Eastern market. They are very good! Serve with yogurt, flat bread, lettuce, tomato and cucumber."

Directions

Mash the garlic into a paste with the salt using a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a chef's knife on your cutting board. Mix the garlic into the lamb along with the onion, parsley, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne pepper, ginger, and pepper in a mixing bowl until well blended. Form the mixture into 28 balls. Form each ball around the tip of a skewer, flattening into a 2 inch oval; repeat with the remaining skewers. Place the kebabs onto a baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or up to 12 hours.

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil grate.

Cook the skewers on the preheated grill, turning occasionally, until the lamb has cooked to your desired degree of doneness, about 6 minutes for medium.

Most Helpful Positive Review

May 24, 2010

Very good, tastes authentic. I use ground beef instead of lamb and serve with the traditional garlic sauce: 4 gloves of garlic, peeled and crushed, 1/4 c olive oil, juice of 1 lemon, 1/4 teaspoon salt. Process in blender or food processor. If the mixture is too runny, add mayo to thicken it to a creamy-thick consistency. Serve over the koftas.

We recently moved from the Detroit metro area where we were lucky enough to have our choice of many of the best middle eastern restaurants in the U.S. These kebabs taste just like the Kofta we sampled in so many places - delicious!! We used beef instead of lamb, but I have also had chicken kofta.

Bored with the same ol' same ol,' I decided to throw caution to the wind and go for something completely foreign to me. I planned this around an entire Middle Eastern dinner! I have never had anything like this. (I know, where have I been all my life?) I wasn't sure at all that I'd like all the spices, many of which were common to a pumpkin pie! I was particularly wary of the cinnamon and was tempted to cut it way back. But I was eager to try this, and figured if worse came to worst we could always come up with Plan B. I was so pleased, so surprised! Somehow the myriad of spices all come together and produce something pleasantly and mildly flavorful, albeit unusually so. I found they're not as good on their own, however, as they are tucked in a pita or flatbread with some fresh greens and tzatziki sauce (thinly sliced tomato and red onion would have been very good with this too - wish I would have thought of that BEFORE we sat down to dinner) I made them into little sausage shapes, two per skewer, then turned them over to Hubs, who grilled them to perfection over charcoal. Still, this preparation of meat is different and unfamiliar to most of us, and as such won't appeal to everyone - as it did not with my mother... (Note: I used two parts lamb, one part ground chuck)

Pretty tasty. I made mine half and half with ground beef and ground pork and doubled the recipe. I was worried that the spices might be overwhelming, but they weren't. I didn't bother shaping the meat into 28 (or 56!) round balls, I just formed cylinders (about 4" by 1.5") around the skewers. The double recipe made 10 portions this way. The meat was nice and moist after grilling. They were great grilled and served with pita bread, tomatoes, cucumbers and tzatziki.

Pretty good. It was enough for 2 maybe 3 people, I made 3 average size skewers, I have no idea why it says you need 28 skewers. I couldn't even make 4 with 1 lb of lamb. But it was perfect for me and my man. Very juicy, great flavor. If you have a family I would make 2 lbs. I served with yogurt sauce I made, grilled pita breads, lettuce, tomato, and cucumber.

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.